The Patriarch of the Northern Heavens - Chapter 122

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Master of the Bukcheon Sword Family – Chapter 122

The Taeyang Seonggung.
I had heard legends of them before.
A faction that wielded the martial arts of extreme yang, once regarded as a power that rivaled the Northern Sea Ice Palace, or so the tales went.
Yet I never imagined their legacy would have survived to this day.
The Taeyang Seonggung had fallen even before the era of Pungsin.
I didn’t even know how they had been destroyed.
Being a force from Nam Man, with which there was little exchange, almost nothing had been passed down about them.
“Follow me.”
But before I could unravel the questions swirling in my mind, the Beast Palace Master led us somewhere.
“We pay our respects to the Palace Master.”
Wherever he went, the disciples of the Wild Beast Palace greeted him with proper courtesy.
The Beast Palace Master nodded, accepting their salutations, then strode forward with long, purposeful steps.
How long did we walk like this?
“Here it is.”
He led us to some kind of ruins.
I gauged the number of masters hidden in the surroundings as I spoke.
“Quite an airtight security you have here.”
“Ho. You sensed that?”
He nodded readily, his voice carrying considerable interest.
“The legacy of the Taeyang Seonggung is something even those Five Poison Gate bastards covet. Without measures like these, I couldn’t rest easy.”
“Surely you didn’t start a war just to obtain this?”
“That’s not it. But I can’t deny it was one of the reasons.”
The Beast Palace Master clicked his tongue and spoke.
“In any case, whether it’s our Wild Beast Palace or the Five Poison Gate, we’re both something like successors to the Taeyang Seonggung. It’s hardly strange that we’re obsessed with their legacy. In fact, some of it is already in their possession.”
“It seems the Taeyang Seonggung controlled an exceptionally vast territory in their heyday.”
“Indeed. Wider than the combined territories of our realm and the Five Poison Gate. You Central Plains folk wouldn’t know this, but we southerners grew up hearing their legends as children.”
I suddenly grew curious and asked.
“How did such a formidable power fall to ruin?”
“There’s a saying: ‘No flower blooms for ten days.’ Even the mightiest empire crumbles in an instant. Of course, the Taeyang Seonggung’s destruction had multiple causes—incompetence and corruption in the leadership, interference from the Central Plains, and most critically….”
The Beast Palace Master’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
“A supreme master attacked the Taeyang Seonggung, or so the tale goes.”
“A supreme master?”
“Yes. The name was, I believe… Gwang Yeom-ra?”
!?
I couldn’t help but feel a chill run down my spine at that moment.
‘Gwang Yeom-ra?’
Wasn’t that the one who had been Pungsin’s greatest rival throughout his life?
Yet I never expected to encounter such a figure’s alias in this place.
Moreover, wasn’t the fall of the Solar Holy Palace even earlier than the era when Pungsin was active?
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve heard that name before, that’s all.”
“Is that so? They said no records could be found in the Central Plains martial world, but it seems traces remained somewhere after all.”
“Did this Gwang Yeom-ra single-handedly annihilate the Solar Holy Palace?”
“To be precise, he came alone and killed the Palace Master and the leadership. After that, a power struggle erupted and internal strife led to their downfall.”
“Either way, he was the catalyst for their destruction.”
“Yes. This is a hidden history known only to myself and a select few of this palace. Others merely know it fell to internal conflict. Ah, we’ve arrived.”
He spoke thus as we reached a massive gate.
“This is where the martial techniques used by the Solar Holy Palace are stored. Congratulations. You two are the first outsiders from the Central Plains to ever enter this place.”
“The legacy you mentioned was martial arts?”
“Yes. Did you perhaps imagine some divine treasure like the Eternal Spirit Pagoda? Such things do exist, but they couldn’t withstand the ravages of time and have mostly been destroyed or lost. The few treasures that remain are not for outsiders.”
“I understand.”
“I grant you access to this place for one day. That should be more than enough time to memorize a secret technique or two.”
“You’re overestimating my talent.”
“How else would someone without such talent have reached that level? Stop your false modesty.”
He gazed at me as if he truly believed those words.
“Begin now. You have exactly one day. I’ll come retrieve you at this time tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
The Beast Palace Master waved his hand dismissively and vanished into the distance.
So Hye-rim and I exchanged glances, then nodded and stepped inside.
“It’s quite spacious.”
The interior was remarkably vast and densely packed with countless volumes.
Yet seeing how clean and meticulously organized everything was, it appeared to be well-maintained.
“It will take considerable time to examine each one individually.”
“That’s why he granted an entire day. Hehe.”
“Master? Why are you laughing?”
“No reason. I’m simply delighted.”
The Beast Palace Master likely believed I would manage to memorize merely three or four martial arts texts at best.
Normally, that would have been the case.
But…
‘Senior, may I ask for your assistance?’
-Very well.
I possessed the Senior.
A sword—not human.
An entity with no limits to memory.
‘With the Senior’s help, I shall review every martial arts text in this place.’
If I did so, I could obtain what lay at the foundation of the Solar Holy Palace.
That which had vanished long ago.

* * *

A day passed.
We emerged at the summons of the Beast Palace Master.
“Your expressions are bright. Did you obtain something worthwhile?”
“Yes.”
“What did you obtain?”
“I cannot disclose that, I’m afraid.”
I replied firmly to the curious Beast Palace Master.
So Hye-rim glanced at me with a slightly surprised expression, but the Beast Palace Master simply grinned and responded.
“Bold indeed. Well, I understand the desire to keep secret what one has learned.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“And the young lady as well?”
“Yes? Well, I… yes.”
“Then I shall respect your choice. Is there anything else you require?”
“Could you provide us with a quiet space to organize what we’ve obtained?”
“No problem. A banquet had been prepared for you both, but that can be postponed. I’ll also lend you the Training Grounds until you’ve fully internalized your new knowledge.”
The Beast Palace Master was remarkably gracious.
It was likely because he was grateful that I had recovered the Ten Thousand Beasts Horn Flute for him.
I accepted his kindness and arrived at a magnificent hall.
It bore an exotic appearance rather than the style of the Central Plains, yet it contained everything one would expect, including a Training Grounds.
“Well then, rest thoroughly until you feel you’ve recovered.”
The Beast Palace Master left us there and returned to his duties.
“Master, I’ll organize what I obtained there and return shortly.”
“Very well. Let’s meet again in a while.”
I parted with So Hye-rim and entered the Training Grounds alone.
My mind was currently filled entirely with the incantations the Sword Spirit had taught me.
In other words, I had no capacity for anything else.
Now I had to select which of these techniques I could actually use and integrate them.
Otherwise, all of this would become utterly useless.
-That’s right. Your thinking is correct.
As I closed my eyes and began meditating, the Sword Spirit’s voice reached me.
-There’s no harm in being exposed to as many martial arts as possible. Since you’ve now witnessed an entire martial lineage in its entirety, it will take time to digest it all.
‘Do you have any advice for me?’
-Consider the circulation of the Five Elements. You’ve heard the phrase “wood generates fire” when studying martial theory, haven’t you? Wood nurtures flame. And in the Five Elements, wood corresponds to wind. So wood generates fire is equivalent to wind generates fire—wind is the force that nurtures flame.
‘You mean…’
-The Bukcheon Divine Art you’ve learned and the Solar Holy Palace’s Blazing Yang Art don’t conflict. In fact, with the Bukcheon Divine Art as your foundation, learning it will be far easier.
“!”
Upon hearing those words, a tingling sensation surged through me, and something blazed with clarity.
I naturally recalled the incantation of the Solar Infinite Art that I had mastered during this opportunity.
Simultaneously, my inner energy began to circulate in accordance with the incantation.
After several cycles of circulation, it transformed into solar qi.
The amount was admittedly not substantial, but it clearly harmonized with the essence of the Bukcheon Divine Art and settled in my dantian.
Whoosh.
I carefully rose and drew my sword.
Though countless applications of the solar art I had acquired flooded my mind, I set those aside for now and decided to focus on the fundamentals.
Whoooosh!
Simultaneously, scorching wind began to coil around the blade’s surface.
I unleashed both the Solar Infinite Art’s essence and the Bukcheon Divine Art’s power together, sweeping my sword toward the target dummy before me.
Scorching Wind Slash!
Crash!
The slash infused with searing wind shattered the wooden target into fragments.
Originally, I could have achieved this much anyway, but…
‘This is different.’
To be precise, the nature of the slash itself had changed.
If the Gale Slash was literally tearing through an enemy with overwhelming cutting power,
then the Scorching Wind Slash I had just used released massive solar qi in the form of a slash and detonated it outright.
While the cutting power was somewhat diminished, the range was far greater and the destructive force considerably higher.
It was truly a remarkable transformation.
“Phew.”
Since I hadn’t yet accumulated enough solar qi to unleash it repeatedly, I couldn’t spam it, but depending on the situation, this might be far superior when facing multiple opponents.
Moreover, the potential applications going forward were endless…
‘I’ve truly received an incredible gift from the Beast Palace Master.’
I grinned and sheathed my sword.
This gain alone made the Ten Thousand Beasts Horn Flute well worth the cost.
‘I should tell Hye-rim about this soon.’
-That girl has likely already grasped it. Have you forgotten that she is Cheon Sal-seong? Her martial talent rivals the legendary Celestial Martial Body. Even if she couldn’t comprehend it immediately, she would have instinctively understood how to wield her newly acquired techniques.
‘You’re right about that.’
With that exchange, we leisurely returned to our quarters.
“Caw.”
I stroked Poong-ah, who had been waiting while I trained, gave her food, and soon fell into sleep.
It seemed I had accumulated considerable fatigue, for when I awoke, an entire day had passed.
‘It appears the exhaustion accumulated from staying awake all night, supposedly examining my martial arts with intense focus.’
I moistened my throat with water I had drawn beforehand, summoned the servant assigned to this hall, and washed up.
Once I had finished preparing completely, I stepped outside.
However.
“Hmm?”
The atmosphere of the Beasts Palace was unusual.
Warriors were rushing about busily in every direction.
Even the ordinary disciples who weren’t warriors wore expressions of unease, whispering anxiously among themselves.
I realized something serious had occurred and immediately went to meet the Beast Palace Master.
“You’re already out. That was fast.”
The Beast Palace Master regarded me with surprised eyes as he spoke.
I greeted him lightly before asking.
“The atmosphere feels off. Has something happened?”
“Yes. Something has indeed occurred.”
The Beast Palace Master let out a heavy sigh and continued.
“Apparently, the Five Poison Gate is advancing toward us as we speak.”
“!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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